''Robuste'' was an
74-gun
The "seventy-four" was a type of two- decked sailing ship of the line, which nominally carried 74 guns. It was developed by the French navy in the 1740s, replacing earlier classes of 60- and 62-gun ships, as a larger complement to the recently de ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...
of the
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
, built by
Antoine Groignard
Antoine Groignard (4 February 1727 – 26 July 1799), was a French naval constructor who developed standard designs for French war ships, and built and improved the dry docks at the French naval bases in Toulon and Brest.
Family
Groignard was so ...
.
Career
Initially intended as a 64-gun ship, ''Robuste'' was built in the Lorient shipyard of the
French East India Company Compagnie des Indes () may refer to several French chartered companies involved in long-distance trading:
* First French East Indies Company, in existence from 1604 to 1614
* French West India Company, active in the Western Hemisphere from 1664 t ...
. She was launched on 2 September 1758, and admitted to active service in April 1759.
On 18 November 1759, she collided with frigate ''Hébé''.
In June 1777, she was under
Lamotte-Picquet, and received the visit of Emperor
Joseph II
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...
.
On 14 February 1778, ''Robuste'' fired a nine-gun salute for
USS ''Ranger'', marking the first time a foreign warship recognised the US flag.
''Robuste'' took part in the campaign in 1779 and 1780 as
De Grasse's flagship. She was notably at the
Battle of Grenada
The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. A British fleet led by Admiral John Byron (the grandfath ...
.
In 1780, she was under
Chateauvert.
In July 1782, under
Nieuil, she was part of the Franco-Spanish fleet under
Córdova. She took part in the
Battle of Cape Spartel
The Battle of Cape Spartel was an indecisive naval battle between a Franco- Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova and a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe. These forces met on 20 October 1782 after Howe successfully re ...
on 20 October 1782. The same year, she was at Brest under
Croiset de Retz.
She was eventually struck in 1783, and broken up in Brest the next year.
Citations
References
*
* (1671-1870)
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robuste (1758)
Ships of the line of the French Navy
1758 ships
Ships built in France